Colonial Tramcar Restaurant

Last year, my best friend David gave me a very romantic present. A gift certificate for lunch together on the Colonial Tram Car Restaurant in Melbourne, with a smoochy message that I won't irritate you by sharing. We disregarded the scoffing of our gen-Y offspring: Oh! you went on the Fogey Tram? Did they play only old folks music? Well, as it happens, they did. Rather a lot of Sinatra and Bing and all that wonderful classic stuff. The food was fine, quite stylish, lots of courses, attentive service. Good champagne, wine, beer, more wine, liqueurs. The route was varied and not in the least repetitive, we went all over the CBD, then all the way to St Kilda and back over a leisurely two hours. It was what my future son in law Nick refers to as "Ooh! Spoilage!". Recommended.

The trams are quite luxuriously fitted out, specially for the purpose. It's quite a slick operation.

Love the coat of arms and motto "Semper Procedentes" - always go forward? As trams do. The driver, hidden by a mirrored door behind David, could be seen from the windows galloping between our end to the other end of the tram when a direction change was required.

Meanwhile, all us fogeys sat in splendour being plied with food and alcohol, all inclusive and watched the scenery go by. It was odd seeing people in the streets so close but they couldn't see us, it seemed.

Champagne didn't have time to go flat.

Nice young waiters, doing it all properly.

Plush interiors and air conditioning. Thank goodness for the air conditioning, it was about 35 outside.

 Passed lots of beautiful old buildings.

Looking down to Flinders St Station.

David had the fillet steak after kangaroo entree. I had chicken fillet after barramundi entree. Great sauces and accompaniments.

Champagne. Lots of champagne, and Tyrrels sauvignon blanc and shiraz and then some Frangelico liqueur...plus chocolates. I no complain.

 I was sober enough to take some photos of scenery, including these around St Kilda.

 The famous Palais Theatre.

 Luna Park the destination of all my dreams as a child in Beaumaris in the late 50's

Don't remember much of the walk back to our apartment in Southbank, but I can tell you we didn't fall out of the tram or trip on any gutters. Amazingly enough. We had a little nap on our return and emerged late in the day for a cuppa on the terrace and no dinner. It was a good day.